


Run Away

by Trexi



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Era, Gwaine Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), M/M, Post-Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:01:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23124409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trexi/pseuds/Trexi
Summary: Gwaine asks Merlin to run away with him.
Relationships: Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 297





	Run Away

“Run away with me,” Gwaine says, as he strides into the armoury.

I roll my eyes. “I need to finish repairing Arthur’s chainmail before we can get up to any mischief. If you can’t possibly wait, then talk to Percival or Elyan. I’m sure they’d be more than happy to lend a hand.”

“That’s not what I meant, Merls.”

“Merls? That’s a new one. You must really want my help with whatever this is.”

There’s a loud thump followed by the knight cursing.

“The wall is made of stone,” I point out, not looking up from my work.

“How’d you know what I did?”

“Arthur sometimes looks like he wants to hit his head against the wall when he’s frustrated with me too. He tends to throw the closest object at me instead.”

Gwaine drops onto the bench next to me. “That’s why you should run away with me,” he says.

“Run away to where exactly?” I ask. “Arthur would search for us in the Rising Sun the second he realises we’re missing.”

“We wouldn’t stay in Camelot,” Gwaine says like that’s absurd.

I put the chainmail down. “Gwaine, when you say run away with you, what exactly do you mean?” I ask slowly, hoping that this is just him trying to skive off on his relatively new knight duties again.

“Ealdor first, obviously. It’s an absolute shame that I haven’t met your mother yet. After that, I’m thinking Nemeth. They’re pretty relaxed about their magic laws, so I don’t have to keep worrying that someone will try executing you. I can’t imagine how bad your nightmares must be stuck living here of all places considering that I haven’t had a peaceful night’s sleep since that Courage, Strength, and Magic thing in the quest we don’t talk about. How the Princess didn’t figure it out from that alone is beyond me. Missing the flying plates when we met was bad enough.”

My breath catches in my throat. “You know?” I barely manage to whisper. 

“How could I not see those gorgeous golden eyes of yours?”

“This isn’t the time for joking, Gwaine!” I snap, jerking away from him and knocking the chainmail to the floor. “You can’t _know_. Nobody’s meant to know.”

“Lancelot knows,” Gwaine points out, crossing his arms. “Is the oh so trustworthy Lancelot an exception then?”

“He isn’t meant to know either, but at least he had the courtesy to tell me that he did instead of just springing it on me out of the blue.”

Gwaine sighs, letting his arms fall to his sides. “Sorry that I thought you were a little less oblivious. I’m not sure what I expected considering you still somehow think I’m loyal to Arthur first of all people.”

“You’re not?”

“Of course not. I’ve been loyal to you since the week we met.”

“Then why did you leave?” I ask before I can stop myself.

“Because I thought you’d never see anything as more important that your duty to Arthur, and I wasn’t eager for you to get sick of me either.”

“I could never grow tired of your presence, Gwaine. I might be a little busy sometimes, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want you around.” I shuffle closer and squeeze his hand. “I promise.”

Gwaine holds my hand tight. “But you won’t run away with me.”

“What do you even mean by that?” I ask, letting him hold my hand captive for now.

“Haven’t you done enough for Camelot? For Arthur? You seem to sacrifice a little bit of yourself every week for this kingdom, and you don’t get the credit you deserve because of its backwards magic laws. Wouldn’t it be better if you could spend your days helping people who’d actually thank you for it and having access to any book on magic that you could possibly desire? You wouldn’t have to spend your days as a servant if we lived in a place where everyone knew exactly how amazing you are.”

I can’t help smiling. “That does sound nice, but it’s not for me. Maybe Camelot will be like that one day after Arthur becomes King and–”

“He doesn’t deserve you. Not you magic, not your faith, and not you loyalty.”

“You don’t know that. You’ve only lived here for half a year.”

“That’s long enough to see that the Princess is blind to everything you do for him, and not just the magic either. I’ve seen you diffuse five plots to kill the King this month alone, and you didn’t even use your magic to do it. I don’t know if I’m more impressed by your awesomeness or bereft of seeing that gorgeous gold again.”

I swat his arm with my free hand. “Stop it.”

“Stop what?” he asks.

“Calling my eyes that.”

Gwaine clasps his chest, pulling my trapped hand against him. “But, Merlin, your eyes are like an oncoming rainstorm during a drought until you use magic and they become a ray of sunlight on a hopeless day.”

My cheeks and ear tips aren’t burning. And if they are, it’s from second-hand embarrassment.

“What you do you mean by run away with you?” I ask because he didn’t answer.

Not really.

Gwaine gives my hand one last squeeze and lets it go. “Whatever you want it to mean. I’m not foolish enough to believe that you’d take me up on the offer. You’re too loyal to Arthur, even if he doesn’t deserve it. But I had to offer. I can’t stand to see you treated as nothing more than a servant when you’re so much more, magic or no magic.”

“You’re staying in Camelot though? Even if I can’t run away from my destiny with you?”

“Wherever you go, I’ll follow.”

I shake my head. “I really don’t deserve that kind of loyalty. I’ve done terrible things, brought destruction to Camelot, and almost ruined everything so many times.”

Gwaine smiles that all too-charming smile of his. “I know that you’re not perfect, Merls, but even if you somehow ended up hating Camelot more than Morgana does, I’d still follow you. Besides, I’m sure the kingdom would’ve deserved it.”

“But why? What could I possibly have done to make you think that I deserve this kind of loyalty? Why would you offer to run away with me like we’re two…?”

Oh.

“Run away with me,” Gwaine says again, but this time I can hear past the expected hint of mischief and beyond to the sheer hope beneath.

“Stay with me,” I offer instead, sure that my face is as red as the knight’s cloak.

Gwaine presses a kiss against my cheek. “Of course.”

Arthur chooses that moment to storm into the armoury looking for his chainmail.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is inspired by the fact that every time I write Merlin and Gwaine together they somehow end up more romantic than bromantic. I figured that I should finally give in to the inevitable.


End file.
